Discussion
Having been to a few bike shops over the weekend I have discovered that the type of bike I want to get (supermoto) have very high seat heights (around 910mm) whereas most other types are around the 810mm mark.
The issue is that as I am only 5'8.5" I can only place my toes on the ground with the higher seats if I'm using both feet at the same time but when stopping normally with one foot on the rear brake I can get a flat left on the ground no problem.
The question is..... in normal day to day life (although the bike is only for fun blatts in the evenings and weekends) would it be a real pain in the arse to own the higher seated bike or am I worrying about nothing?
The issue is that as I am only 5'8.5" I can only place my toes on the ground with the higher seats if I'm using both feet at the same time but when stopping normally with one foot on the rear brake I can get a flat left on the ground no problem.
The question is..... in normal day to day life (although the bike is only for fun blatts in the evenings and weekends) would it be a real pain in the arse to own the higher seated bike or am I worrying about nothing?
You very much have to get into the right mindset to ride any bike where you are struggling to get more than the tips of your toes on the ground at the same time. You have to make sure that the bike leans the correct way as you come to a stop as you will inevitably be slightly sliding off one side of the seat to get your foot well planted. You have to look out for dips in the road, loose gravel etc. on the point where you are going to put your foot down to avoid leaning the bike over further than planned and ending up laying on your side with the bike pinning your leg.
It is worth trying each of the bikes you are interested in as it’s not only the seat height but the width of the bike, the location of the foot pegs and the C. of G. that impact how difficult/easy it is to manage in ‘feet down’ situations.
It is worth trying each of the bikes you are interested in as it’s not only the seat height but the width of the bike, the location of the foot pegs and the C. of G. that impact how difficult/easy it is to manage in ‘feet down’ situations.
Like Black-K1 said really. Gary, I'm a shorty with an inside leg measurement of 28 inches and I still manage to ride my SXV without too much difficulty. It just needs forward planning and practice.
As the moto's tend to be lightweight bikes, the height is a bit less of an issue. In fact I find my moto easier to ride in town than my ZXR750 which has a lower seat height but much more weight and rubbish steering lock.
It's pretty much instinct for me on any bike to apply a tiny bit of counter steer when coming to a stop - this ensures that the correct foot goes down and I don't end up hopping around all over the place trying to keep the fooker upright.
I've never provided amusement for bored car drivers at traffic lights in that manner, no, not me
As the moto's tend to be lightweight bikes, the height is a bit less of an issue. In fact I find my moto easier to ride in town than my ZXR750 which has a lower seat height but much more weight and rubbish steering lock.
It's pretty much instinct for me on any bike to apply a tiny bit of counter steer when coming to a stop - this ensures that the correct foot goes down and I don't end up hopping around all over the place trying to keep the fooker upright.
I've never provided amusement for bored car drivers at traffic lights in that manner, no, not me
Thanks for the replies.... I'm sure you ALWAYS manage to come to a stop with the correct lean 
I just sat on a Suzi GSR600 and could not believe how much lower to the ground it was over the KTM. Ah well... as long as I pass my test next Monday week I shall have lots of fun carrying out a multitude of test rides.
Have now a lovely pair of Buffalo gloves, a Shark helment and, as of today, a wonderful Hein Gericke leather jacket .... but no bike to play with
Roll on October
I just sat on a Suzi GSR600 and could not believe how much lower to the ground it was over the KTM. Ah well... as long as I pass my test next Monday week I shall have lots of fun carrying out a multitude of test rides.
Have now a lovely pair of Buffalo gloves, a Shark helment and, as of today, a wonderful Hein Gericke leather jacket .... but no bike to play with
Roll on October
It is possible to get lowering links for many MX / Supermoto bikes.
Another thing done is to remove some seat padding, or buy a lower seat.
Remember, Crossers are lighter than 99% of other bikes, so stopping then leaning to one side is pretty easy and a common thing for many riders of the things.
Another thing done is to remove some seat padding, or buy a lower seat.
Remember, Crossers are lighter than 99% of other bikes, so stopping then leaning to one side is pretty easy and a common thing for many riders of the things.
F.M said:
I seen a nice trick where a shorty on a supermoto flicks the sidestand down while in neutral just before stopping and lets it fall on the stand...then engages first and rides away flicking it up.....bloody dangerous though...
Ha ha, I'd not thought of that! My SXV has a really strong spring on the sidestand, so as soon as the weight is off it the thing flicks back up into place. Maybe that feature has can have a use after all
F.M said:
you need to disengage the cut out switch though or it will switch off when you flick 1st...the hard part is getting it right without looking a t
t at the lights...or taking a diver under a bus beside you...(shudder)
t at the lights...or taking a diver under a bus beside you...(shudder)To be honest, it's probably not a good idea to get into the habit of using the side stand this way. I'll rely on my other proven technique of stopping next to a tall kerb
speed8 said:
garyhun said:
Ah well... as long as I pass my test next Monday week I shall have lots of fun carrying out a multitude of test rides.
More to the point, How did the theory test go? I assume you passed if you are doing your DAS test next week.
Hi Andy
Yes I passed. 35 out of 35 for the multiple choice and 67 out of 75 for HP! I was actually very nervous doing the HP (my hand was shaking to start with) as some of my practice rounds had ended up with 0/5's!! However..after you fab advice last week I did the click when I saw the hazard and clicked again a second later to make sure I was not too early and that worked a treat!! So many thanks for that. I called my instructor this morning and he managed to get my test moved from 24th Octover to 2nd October with my DAS trainig next Wed, Thur and Friday! I am sooo looking forward to getting that done and then getting a bike. My real problem is that I was going to look at nothing bigger than a 600 and today I saw a lovely Suzuki GRX- R750 so I am more confused than ever right now
Everything seems to point to the 750 being one of the best bikes out there. Enjoy the test rides.Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff